33. Folly Beach 10 Mile Run, 2008

This is a relatively new event, enjoying its second year and organized by Mike and Pat Logins from The Extra Mile.

The course was pretty similar to the Folly Beach Save the Light Half-Marathon, but that’s understandable since Folly Beach is only so big. I’m in training for a marathon, so I didn’t plan on breaking my neck out there. I just wanted to cruise a bit and enjoy a good run with some familiar faces.

Registration and Recognition.

Mike and Pat were working diligently to get things started. Pat was working the registration desk and Mike was… hell, I don’t know. He was doing some sort of race stuff, I would imagine.

This is the first race I’ve participated in since growing my beard. Along with the hat, this apparently changes my appearance to a severe degree. All over town, people have had trouble recognizing me, and this race was no different. After a couple of comments about the beard/hat combo, I got registered and settled into the pre-race routine. Everyone was in good spirits, but we were a little worried about the wind and the possibility of rain.

Supercops on Amazing Crime-Stopping Vehicles

I can understand bicycles. That makes perfect sense in a city. I can also understand the very small motorcycle that I’ve seen a police officer ride in Charleston. These vehicles are well-suited for easy navigation in the downtown area.

There’s more, though. I’ve seen two different types of Segways downtown, and now I’ve seen a moped. It has blue lights and everything. There’s a whole article here just waiting for me to write it, full of wit and opinion regarding unusual vehicles and physical standards.

It won’t be written today, however. I don’t want to pick on some guy who was helping us out. I spotted two of these police mopeds patrolling the course to make sure that things were going well. Thanks, guys. We literally couldn’t do these races without you.

Getting Started

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to carry the camera with me this time. I had tossed it into the car, but found myself missing it more and more. I ran the short distance to the car and back as a warm-up, and finally made the decision to retrieve my Nikon.

It’s too bad, really. I would have like to have gotten a few shots of Mike lecturing the crowd about the quirks of the course and why they should tear off the tag from their race numbers when they finish. Before I move to Burlington, I’m going to try to get a photo of him with that bullhorn, addressing the crowd like a teacher just before a field trip.

As with the other small races, Mike led us on a bicycle. As he took off, I wondered how hard it would be to stay ahead of some of the faster runners. But really, everything was pretty standard at this one. I ran steadily throughout the course and spurred myself into a sprint after gaining a visual on the clock. Then I ate a bunch of fruit and cookies at the end.

Final Thoughts

This was a fun event, even though I’ve seen Folly Beach before. I performed well over the ten-mile course, and I think I’m ready for the marathon next month. The two jobs have prevented me from training the way I would have liked to, but I can get to the Finish Line in one piece. The trick will be in the pacing.